Bologna suffered another defeat in England to surprise outfit Aston Villa, once again failing to score and conceding from John McGinn and Jhon Duran.
The Rossoblu only had one win, two losses and seven draws in all competition under Vincenzo Italiano, fresh off fumbling a 2-0 lead for 2-2 in Genoa. They’d failed to score in Europe with defeat to Liverpool and a 0-0 against Shakhtar Donetsk, missing Michel Aebischer, Nicolò Cambiaghi, Oussama El Azzouzi and Lewis Ferguson. Villa on the other hand lost just once this term with eight victories and two stalemates, beating Young Boys 3-0 and Bayern Munich here 1-0.
See how the game unfolded on the Liveblog.
Kacper Urbanski scuffed a finish wide from the D and Dan Ndoye sent Thijs Dallinga through to force a tough save from Dibu Martinez.
Riccardo Orsolini was probably offside when testing Martinez at the near post, while Lukasz Skorupski parried the glancing John Duran header from a Youri Tielemans corner and got down to push the John McGinn finish away.
Skorupski had to rush off his line in first half stoppages to deny Morgan Rogers with an outstretched leg.
There were chances at both ends straight after the restart, as first Bailey’s volley skimmed the upright, then Stefan Posch fired wide from a promising position for Bologna.
Aston Villa took the lead in curious circumstances, because McGinn was trying to whip the free kick across the face of goal, but nobody touched it and it bounced into the far bottom corner. Bologna were particularly aggrieved, because the free kick came from a Remo Freuler sliding tackle that got the ball.
Deadlock broken 🔓
John McGinn’s free-kick fires Aston Villa ahead 🤩
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/tjOjITip1G
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 22, 2024
The hosts doubled their advantage when McGinn floated a ball over the top for Rogers, who dinked his cross for Duran to flick in from six yards. The striker got in front of his fellow Colombian Jhon Lucumi.
IT JUST HAD TO BE HIM! 💥
Jhon Durán with a strikers finish to double Aston Villa’s lead 👏
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/ECuzKIsiwD
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 22, 2024
Bologna almost got their first goal of the Champions League this season, but Sam Beukema’s header thumped the woodwork from a Charalampos Lykogiannis corner.
Aston Villa 2-0 Bologna
McGinn 55 (A), Duran 64 (A)
Player statistic
| 19' |  |
Riccardo Orsolini | ||
| 45' | |
Stefan Posch |
| 47' | |
Charalampos Lykogiannis | ||
| Ross Barkley | |
50' | ||
| 54' | |
Remo Freuler | ||
| John McGinn |  |
55' | ||
| Jhon Durán (Assist: Morgan Rogers) |
|
64' |
